Didier Drogba is missing Chelsea's Asia tour to receive treatment on his injured knee and not to negotiate a transfer, the English Premier League club said yesterday.
Chelsea also disputed a claim from Kaka's spokesman that a "formal proposal" had been made to sign him from AC Milan, and insisted that midfielder Frank Lampard must honor the final year of his contract.
"On Drogba, he has had a recurrence of the knee injury that troubled him last season and had to stay behind for treatment," Chelsea Chief Executive Peter Kenyon said. "People have read something into the fact he is not here, but that is wrong. He is injured."
Chelsea manager Luis Felipe Scolari said the Ivory Coast striker will need up to a month to recover from his left knee problem.
"I think Didier will be training because he has a contract for us, and look, I think he is happy in Chelsea."
While Scolari might want to sign Kaka, Milan is refusing to sell the Brazil midfielder who was named FIFA player of the year in 2007.
"We have not made a bid, whatever anyone else says," Kenyon said. "Milan have said publicly he is not for sale, so there is nothing more to say if that is their position."
Chelsea is more likely to sign Brazil forward Robinho from Real Madrid.
"We are interested in the player and we have had discussions with Real Madrid," Kenyon said. "We have not made a formal offer and we will see where it goes."
Kenyon said Lampard is going nowhere despite former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho wanting to be reunited with the England midfielder at Inter Milan.
"We want Frank to stay, but if we cannot agree he will honor the last year of his contract," Kenyon said. "We do not sell our best players."
Scolari said Lampard is training well and has been discussing future tactics.
"We are talking every day about Chelsea: what's the best way for Chelsea to play and about the positions that are best for him at times in the games," Scolari said. "But not more about anything (else), only the way Chelsea win games with Lampard."
The Blues also announced that goalkeeper Petr Cech signed a new five-year contract, while midfielder Claude Makelele is back in France with Paris Saint-Germain.
Considered one of the world's finest holding midfielders, the Kinshasa-born Makelele becomes PSG's second major signing after compatriot Ludovic Giuly, who joined from AS Roma.
(Agencies via Shanghai Daily July 22, 2008)